Boykin Brothers Guided by Two Schools of Thought

The only way either of the Boykin brothers, Jamal and Ruben, escaped his family chores while growing up was to defeat the other in a game of one-on-one basketball.

“We have a big yard and big trees, so the loser would have to do a lot of stuff,” Jamal said. “You would have to rake the leaves in the front of the house, the side of the house and the back of the house. The games were real personal. You’d feel sorry for the loser, but you didn’t want to be raking leaves.”

The one-on-one games have ceased because the boys have grown too large and too strong.

“When one wants to beat the other so bad he dives on concrete, it starts to be a problem,” Jamal said.

Born 20 months apart, Ruben and Jamal Boykin might be the best brother basketball duo in Southern California, except they attend different schools. Ruben is a 6-foot-7 senior at Los Angeles University, where he leads the City Section in scoring with a 32.1 average.

Jamal is a 6-7 sophomore at L.A. Fairfax, where he starts at center for a team ranked No. 3 in Southern California by The Times. He’s considered among the best young players in the state.

The brothers are more inseparable than some twins. They’ve shared a bedroom since birth. They’re best friends and insist they’ve never had a fight -- ever.

“That’s why it’s weird,” Ruben said. “I’ve gotten mad at him but never yelled or screamed. We’re always around each other and our parents have always taught us to never fight and never challenge the other.”

Imagine the awkward scene three weeks ago when University played Fairfax in a Western League game. It was brother against brother, and their parents, Mary and Ruben Sr., were nervous wrecks. Mom sat on one side of the bleachers with one older daughter and Dad sat on the other side with another older daughter.

Everybody seemed to be cheering for Ruben because Fairfax led University at halftime, 41-19. Then University rallied and Mom suddenly reversed allegiances, worrying that a Fairfax loss could ruin its national ranking.

“She was cheering for Ruben’s team to come back, and when they got within five, she got scared,” Jamal said. “She didn’t want them to win.”

Fairfax won, 67-57. Ruben had 20 points, Jamal 13. The family returned home and talked about the game until 12:30 a.m. Round 2 is Friday at University.

“It’s a tough game for us,” Fairfax Coach Harvey Kitani said. “The brothers love each other so much. It’s big brother against little brother, and big brother wills little brother to miss shots.”

Said University Coach Jim Nakabara: “I wasn’t sure how they were going to react. It seems like they play harder. They’re two terrific kids. Jamal is just a gentleman. They respect coaches, teachers, everybody.”

There’s much trust and respect between the brothers. Both serve as ushers at their family’s church. Each wears the other’s jersey when attending a big game in the bleachers. Ruben wore a Fairfax jersey cheering for Jamal against Westchester and vice versa.

When Jamal woke up ill one day last week, Ruben immediately took out the trash even though it wasn’t his turn. Now that’s brotherly love.

Their childhood dream was to play together at University.

“We used to imagine we’d win the state and City title for University,” Jamal said. “We’d celebrate in the middle of the street.”

Except Jamal chose Fairfax after learning of its graphic arts magnet program and strong basketball team. He loves to paint and sketch with pencils.

Ruben came close to leaving University this summer after he realized he’d be the only returning player. It forced him to think long and hard about what he wanted to accomplish.

“The pressure [to transfer] was big time,” he said. “All the starters left. Everybody was telling me I should leave, that I’d be better at Fairfax. My mom said, ‘Uni has been loyal to you for a long time, so you should stay.’ ”

He couldn’t be happier with his decision. He signed last November with Northern Arizona and has helped University to a 17-6 record and a 6-2 mark in the Western League. Last week, Ruben scored 44 and 45 points in consecutive league games. He’s averaging more than 13 rebounds a game.

“Things worked out big time,” he said. “I got my scholarship, we’re in third place and I love it.”

The brothers admire each other’s basketball skills.

Ruben on Jamal: “I brag about him all the time. I like his post moves, how he’s able to make shots under pressure and how in big games he steps up.”

Jamal on Ruben: “Every morning before he has a game, I wake up and he’s at the edge of my bed watching a Michael Jordan tape. If you look at some of his moves, it’s like Jordan. Before the Westchester game, he watched Jordan score 69 points. I was looking at my brother’s moves and I was thinking, ‘Maybe I can use his moves.’ ”

Their father is a salesman and their mother is an English teacher who was raised in Montgomery, Ala., during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

“I remember old people who could hardly walk, but when marches were held, they were part of it because they wanted to do something for the next generation,” Mary said.

Brother helping brother is part of the Boykin family creed.

As Jamal points out, “It’s like a Bible verse. ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.’ That means if Ruben has a bad game, I’m not going to be happy about it. If he has a good game, I’m not going to be like, ‘Why is he getting all the attention?’ We’re all very supportive.”

Jamal is grateful he’s had an older brother to inspire him.

“Just him being my brother, I felt I was two years ahead,” he said. “And that’s why right now my game is where it is, because of him.”

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.